Description of game
Samus first stopped the evil Space Pirates and Mother Brain
from amassing an army of Metroids on the planet Zebes. Then she was called
on to finish the job on SR388, ultimately ridding the universe of all but a
single Metroid larva. In Super Metroid, for the Super Nintendo Entertainment
System, Samus thwarted Mother Brain's attempt to snatch the captive Metroid
larva from the scientists on Ceres. Now, Samus is once again called to
investigate Space Pirate activities on the unexplored Tallon IV. Her
adventure begins as she enters a mysterious derelict.
Review of game
It had been 8 years, but finally two new Metroid games were
released in late 2002. Metroid Fusion, for Game Boy Advance, and Metroid
Prime, for Gamecube. Though the former was disappointingly short, the latter
is an awesome game. Though to date nearly every Gamecube game have been
ultimately disappointing, this may be the game that will turn that all
around. I will now break this game down, category by category, to evaluate
it.
Graphics: 5/5
In a video game in the modern age, graphics don't get any better than this.
Your foes, blasts, and environments are extremely well detailed, and make
good use of the Gamecube's potential.
Play Control: 4/5
Good control, but it needs work. You have to switch visors with the control
pad, and weaponry with the control stick. Also, you fire missiles with one
of the gray buttons and turn into the morph ball with another. Accidentally
push the wrong button in a combat scenario and you're dead. However, if you
stick with this scheme for a while, you'll get use to it, and ultimately
find it satisfying.
Challenge: 4.25/5
This game's tough in many places, and not in a good way. The Achilles Heal
of the Metroid series is present - lack of an auto save feature. If you play
for an hour without saving, beating several bosses and collecting many new
useful items, and get killed - you guessed right. YOU WASTED AN HOUR. This
is the thing I hate most about the Metroid series, period. More save points
or the ability to save anywhere would've been huge improvements. Also, many
times you will find yourself facing VERY strong foes that aren't even
bosses. Alone, you can take them on all right, but often they gang up on
you! THERE IS NO SMART WAY TO FIGHT TWO ULTRA-STRONG FOES AT ONCE, so if
you're ganged up on, you're probably gonna be dead in a matter of seconds.
Also, in areas where you have completed all the objectives, flying robot
troopers appear. These guys are super strong, and like I said above, will
gang up on you. Further adding to the difficulty, your character is VERY
SLOW. However, you've got an arsenal of cool skills and weapons that will
aid you well.
Theme/fun: 4/5
This is a VERY FUN game if you can get into it. Though the vast majority of
the action takes place in the first person perspective, this IS NOT a first
person shooter. This is classic Metroid action, but it's in a 3D world now.
Unfortunately, as stated above, this game is often challenging, and NOT IN A
GOOD WAY. Still, it is a WAY better game than the ultimately-disappointing
Metroid Fusion for Game Boy Advance. If you wasted money on Fusion though,
and beat it, you can play the original NES Metroid on the Gamecube! If you
beat Prime and link to Fusion you get a new suit in Prime! Those are cool
bonus features, BUT THEY DON'T MAKE FUSION WORTH BUYING.
Music/Sound: 3.5/5
No music really stands out. The sound effects are good, though. I would've
liked more remakes of tunes from the classic Metroid games.
Overall: 4/5
This is a GREAT game overall, but they could've done better too. It's great,
but I don't think it was worth an EIGHT YEAR wait. However, if you're a fan
of the Metroid series, or you want a good game for the Gamecube, a system
ultimately lacking good games, this is the best you can do.
